今年打算回去過年，雖然母親每次都說輕裝上陣，想想回去一趟，還是不能空手。家中的親戚朋友還是要帶點東西，所以從年前就開始注意商品信息，開始采購。
這個周六出門時，已經十點多了。地麵是濕漉漉的積水，尚未下透的雨氣變成黑雲，烏壓壓地在天空上彌漫開來。我開著車朝一個方向走去，一上高速公路就發現情況不妙，五號高速水泄不通，車輛幾乎原地不動。我隻好臨時改變主意，耐心地等待下一個出口，拐出去，徑直往最近的Costco駛去。 大雨如注, Costco的加油站又是排成長龍,。等我加完油走進Costco，又是人頭攢動。這座城市變得越來越擁擠了。後來下午還是去了一趟outlet， 十幾二十分鍾找不到parking位， 看來電子商務並沒有擊垮實物店啊。
周日早上，我拎著一盒網購來準備要退的護膚品來到了一個大mall，開始了長達三多小時的shopping。已經不記得上一次是什麽時候來的(反正女兒這次回家她是自己來逛的)， 隻是注意到這裏有了一些大的變化。鼎泰豐飯店後麵大麵積的擴充，那家據說要排上好幾個小時吃個飯的高檔台灣連鎖店一定是看到了商機和需求，在這個寸土寸金的mall裏占據了這麽多地盤，搞了自己專有的parking lot， 三個紅紅的中文字特別紮眼。這裏的華人太多了，還有那些中國過來購物的，財大氣粗，連門口的歡迎牌上，"歡迎光臨"四個中文字出現了兩次，一次簡體，一次繁體，廁所休息處還放了一麵很大的寫著"2019恭喜發財"中文字的裝飾畫，裏麵排列了十二生肖的圖片和每個生肖的解釋。有錢到哪兒都是爺。
這些變化是細微的，永遠不變的是它的富麗堂皇，光鮮亮麗。每家店門口考究的裝潢，誘人的廣告模特，醒目的打折提示，時時刻刻在撥動著人欲望的弦。這是一座欲望之城，penthouse, 人的欲望就是被這些眼花繚亂的裝飾和產品激活的，隨之而來的可能就是口袋裏嘩嘩倒出的銀子聲。
我走進了Nordstrom，又走出了MK, 拎著大包小包從一家又一家商店門口走過。 走過Rolex表店時，一向淡定的我猶豫了片刻，一念之間也竟然一隻腳踏入。 就在另一隻腳準備跟進時，不自覺地又來了個急刹車。我這樣的裝束穿著運動鞋逛mall的，與這家店太不合時宜了，哪怕是看熱鬧，也不要進去浪費時間了。奢侈品是屬於奢侈之人的。
漸漸地，覺得手上拎的包包重重的，走在有點悶熱的mall裏，身上也微微出汗了。我準備打到回府了，但方向感極差的我居然在bloomingdale店裏轉了兩圈找不到通往parking lot的出口，後來才知道出口是在二樓。當我終於走出迷宮，如釋重負地打開重重的玻璃門時，雨後清新的空氣撲麵而來，外麵陽光燦燦，藍天白雲。
上車二十分鍾高速後是一個熟悉的出口。遠遠看見出口處的山坡上有一絲絲綠意。被幾場冬雨喚醒的小草，在陽光的溫暖下，急不可待地冒出頭來了。春天快到了！望著眼前這座久違了的山巒，一座曾經每周六我們常常涉足的地方，我的眼眶突然間濕潤了。那些日子、那些歡笑已經遠離，唯有記憶在心裏攪起片片漣漪……
Raindrops pattered against the rooftop. They dropped to the ground, bounced and splattered. The tree branches on the road sides were bending down heavily, now that the leaves were saturated with water. As a matter of fact, everything in the open air looked soaked after five days’ rain in a row. The parched land was finally relieved.
Last weekend saw my shopping spree as I was preparing for the trip to China. Around 10 am in the morning last Saturday, I was heading to an outlet, hoping that it is an early bird that gets the parking spot. When I entered the highway, the rain started pouring. The cars, stuck on the congested highway, were not moving. I changed my mind and crawled out of freeway in the next exit. Habitually, I went to the nearby Costco, to fill the gas first. The line was long, even in such a bad weather. I waited patiently inside the car with the radio on, watching the windshield wiping off the water from the blurring window. When it was my turn, I had to tiptoe onto the flooded ground, careful not to wet my Nike shoes. Then, I joined the crowd at Costco, looking here and there in search of right gifts.
I went back home for a simple lunch and a short nap before I resumed my morning attempt to an outlet. It was almost 4 pm. The sky was cleared a little bit; the parking lot was fully packed as in a typical weekend day. I circled around, waited for more than ten minutes before I finally got a parking space.
The shopping was continued on Sunday morning, when I drove to a mall to return a skin care product ordered online, and picked up an online order that was delivered to a store. It is a huge modern mall, largest in CA, full of high-end luxury stores. Ultra luxury brands such as Rolex, LV, Chloe and even Porsche Design shop can be found among them. Now, after the end of the holiday season comes the annual sales. The showy window displays were punctuated by eye-catching discount notices at the store entrances, wooing customers in for good deals. I passed by some stores, went in and out some others. Entrapped in this jungle-like maze, I felt a bit lost, lost in thought about the pleasure money can bring to people, and lost physically in direction. This is a world beyond me. Had it not been for the gifts, I would have enjoyed staying at home.
Getting out of the mall, I was greeted by the crisp air, warm sunlight and blue sky. Twenty minutes’ drive on the freeway led me to a familiar exit, ahead of which lie the rolling valleys. Tears suddenly swelled to my eyes when I saw the greenish color emerge from the sprawling barren tops. It is the recent rain that brought life back to the valley,a place we frequented every week for hiking in the past, a place that holds so dear to my heart.
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